News

Whiting, Indiana — Tensions between one of the world’s largest oil companies and its unionized workforce have reached a boiling point. Starting at midnight on Thursday, March 19, 2026, BP is officially locking out approximately 800 to 900 members of the United Steelworkers (USW) Local 7-1 from its Whiting, Indiana, refinery. As the largest refinery in the Midwest—processing around 440,000 barrels of crude oil per day—the Whiting facility is a critical hub for the region's gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel. The lockout follows months of increasingly bitter negotiations, leaving the local economy and regional fuel markets bracing for the fallout.

Today A 30 percent chance of snow showers before 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 41.   Tonight Mostly cloudy, with a low around 33.   Thursday Mostly sunny, with a high near 49.   Thursday Night Mostly cloudy, with a low around 36.   Friday Partly sunny, with a high near 48.

On March 11th at 5:56 PM, the LaPorte County Regional Dispatch Center received a 911 call regarding a person who was traveling to Full Gospel Church, located at 2700 Ohio Street, to shoot a known parishioner while armed with explosive devices and a firearm. Officers from Uniform Patrol Shift 2 quickly responded to the church and located 41-year-old Michigan City resident Matthew Schutz sitting with parishioners. Schutz fled from officers and attempted to exit the building as they approached him. Officers discovered Schutz was in possession of multiple explosive devices at the time he was apprehended. Technicians from the Porter

The Valparaiso Police Department Released the following statement regarding a grossing guard being charged with child solicitation: "On March 4, 2026, the Valparaiso Police Department (VPD) learned of allegations involving civilian part-time employee, Crossing Guard James Jovanovic. The allegation stemmed from an incident that occurred on March 3, 2026, in Gary, Indiana. VPD then contacted the Gary Police Department (GPD) to obtain further details related to the reported incident. Upon learning of the allegations, VPD immediately placed Jovanovic on unpaid administrative leave. Jovanovic resigned on March 5, 2026. Valparaiso Community Schools (VCS) was also notified of all information pertaining to

NIPSCO and the NiSource Charitable Foundation Launch the Lake Village Relief Fund and Volunteer Recovery Efforts Lake Village, Ind. – Northern Indiana Public Service Company LLC (NIPSCO), with support from the NiSource Charitable Foundation, is mobilizing resources to assist with relief and recovery efforts in Lake Village following last week’s devastating storm, which caused two fatalities and significant property damage across the region. To support impacted families and communities, NIPSCO and the NiSource Charitable Foundation are providing a $25,000 grant to establish the Lake Village Recovery Fund. In addition, NIPSCO employees will spend a day volunteering in the community, a

Clarence A. Edlen-December 16, 1943 - March 13, 2026 Clarence A. Edlen, 82, of Michigan City, Indiana, passed away Friday, March 13, 2026 at 12:12 p.m. at his home in Michigan City, Indiana. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, March 20, 2026 at St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr Catholic Church, 415 North Brookfield St., South Bend, IN 46628 with Rev. Msgr. John C. Fritz officiating. Visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 19, 2026 at the Ott/Haverstock Funeral Chapel, 418 Washington St., Michigan City, IN 46360. The

The Michigan City Police Department would like to warn residents of an ongoing scam that is currently taking place across Indiana. Scammers are sending text messages to recipients and informing them they received a “Notice of Hearing-Traffic Violation” from Superior Court in Marion County, Indiana. The text message will contain a link and/or an attachment with a Quick Response (QR) code for recipients to scan so they can pay for an alleged “Parking Violation/Failure to Pay Electronic Toll” infraction. The attachment will also contain information such as a fraudulent court/case number, list Marion Superior Court in Indianapolis as the hearing

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM EDT /10 AM CDT/ TUESDAY... * WHAT...Lake effect snow. Additional snow accumulations between 1 and 3 inches. Winds gusting as high as 40 mph. * WHERE...Portions of northern Indiana and southwest Michigan. * WHEN...Until 11 AM EDT /10 AM CDT/ Tuesday. * IMPACTS...Roads, and especially bridges and overpasses, will likely become slick and hazardous. Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions could impact the Tuesday morning commute. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Cellular nature of snow as well as lingering 25 to 40 mph wind gusts will allow for variable visibility affecting travel.

News Release by Purdue University Northwest: HAMMOND and WESTVILLE, Ind. — Purdue University Northwest (PNW) invites prospective college students and their families to attend their choice of Preview PNW open house events, offered free of charge at both the Hammond and Westville campuses in April. The events provide valuable information about the university’s academic programs, admissions process and paying for college. Guests are welcome to attend either of the upcoming events: Preview PNW: The Westville Experience from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on April 23 at PNW’s Westville campus, 1401 S. U.S. 421, Westville, Ind. Preview PNW: Hammond starting 8:30 a.m.

The City of Valparaiso has announced 14 new grants in the 2026 Neighborhood Improvement Grant program, providing $106,256 in funds to support neighborhood unity and community improvements, with projects including tree plantings, disc golf, entry beautification projects and more. "Strong neighborhoods create a more engaged and connected city. We established the Neighborhood Improvement Grant Program in 2018 to strengthen neighborhoods, and the program continues to elevate Valparaiso,” said Mayor Jon Costas. “Each of these projects gathers neighbors together for a common cause of their own choosing." The neighborhoods receiving grants in 2026 are Beauty Creek Villas, Berkley, Bridgewater Estates, College

In La Porte County, U.S. 35 has an additional closure between South Ave and Kingsbury Ave through the end of August. The intersection of Kingsbury Ave is closed but is anticipated to reopen at the end of April. The other intersections within this section will be closed through the duration of this phase of work. U.S. 35 remains closed between State Road 2/Lincolnway and Maple Ave, including the intersection at Jefferson Ave, through late May. INDOT says to plan alternate routes or utilize the official detour of State Road 2, State Road 39 and U.S. 6. INDOT's project team will

(Michigan City, IN)- Right now, thousands of sandhill cranes are gathered in the Great Marsh at Indiana Dunes National Park—and it’s an incredible reminder of what habitat restoration can achieve.   For thousands of years, the Great Marsh was a place where land and water converged, migratory birds took refuge, and other wildlife – including mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and insects – called home.   However, during the 20th century, the Great Marsh wetland complex’s value was overlooked, and much of its 4,000 acres were drained, dug up, or otherwise destroyed. Since 1998, the National Park Service and its partners have

On March 13, 2026, Shawn Akison entered into a plea agreement with the State of Indiana. Mr. Akison pled Guilty to 1 count of OWI Causing Catastrophic Injury, a Level 4 Felony, and 1 count of OWI Causing Serious Bodily Injury, a Level 5 Felony. Mr. Akison and the State agreed to a 12 year sentence, 9 years executed in prison. Sentencing will be in late April 2026. Mr. Akison was originally charged in May 2025, stemming from a serious crash with New Prairie School buses. This incident involved players and staff of the New Prairie High School baseball team

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 8 AM EDT /7 AM CDT/ MONDAY TO 11 AM EDT /10 AM CDT/ TUESDAY...   * WHAT...Lake effect snow expected. Total snow accumulations between 2 and 5 inches. Winds gusting as high as 40 mph.   * WHERE...Portions of northern Indiana and southwest Michigan.   * WHEN...From 8 AM EDT /7 AM CDT/ Monday to 11 AM EDT /10 AM CDT/ Tuesday.   * IMPACTS...Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions could impact the Monday evening commute.   * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Lake effect snow and northwest wind gusts of 30 to 40 mph

Awesome time at the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Michigan City with Michigan City Special Events and TEAM WIMS. Great crowd. Wonderful floats. Family fun. For FACEBOOK IVE Complete coverage of the parade and a ton olf pictures check out the WIMS FACEBOOK page. Thank you to all of the sponsors and to our WIMS Events Sponsors including Michigan City Special Events Arnett Construction & Roofing Derrick Wayne Arnett NIPSCO Highstreet Insurance & Financial Services #wims #localradio #supportlocal #nwi #michigancity

Lake County, Ind. – Construction will soon begin on 80/94 FlexRoad. To prepare, limited tree clearing is needed along the corridor. Trees will be felled in March and picked up at a later date. Most of the work involves clearing shrubbery from the area. Shoulder closures on I-94 and closures on adjacent local roads will be needed through the end of March. Starting on or after today, March 16, intermittent shoulder closures will be in place on I-80/94 from the I-65 interchange to the Illinois state line. Additional closures will occur on local roads during this timeframe. Access for local

Incredible time with Maura and Rachel and their crews with the Duneland Chamber of Commerce and Chesterton's European Market at Corkscrew & Brew on Saturday afternoon at Thomas Centennial Park in Chesterton. Awesome vendors. Tons of fun. Great music. TEAM WIMS was LIVE. For more pictures and FACEBOOK coverage visit WIMS FACEBOOK. Thank you to all of the Sponsors and to the WIMS EVENT Sponsors Duneland Chamber of Commerce Chesterton’s European Market NIPSCO Arnett Construction & Roofing Porter Bank #wims #whfb #duneland #localradio #nwi

News Release by Michigan City Area Schools: MCHS MCJROTC Competes At 2026 Ft. Wayne Military Skills Comp Michigan City High School (MCHS) Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (MCJROTC) competed in a military skills competition at Concordia High School in Fort Wayne on Saturday, March 7. The cadets did marksmanship and a color guard drill with some of the best JROTC programs in Indiana. The Wolves have put in much practice time and effort in preparing for this event, with the Color Guard practicing mornings before school and the marksmanship team practicing after school. “Marksmanship is a great tool

WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM EDT /10 AM CDT/ THIS MORNING TO MIDNIGHT EDT /11 PM CDT/ TONIGHT... * WHAT...South winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts between 45 and 55 mph expected. * WHERE...Portions of northern Indiana, southwest Michigan, and northwest Ohio. * WHEN...From 11 AM EDT /10 AM CDT/ this morning to midnight EDT /11PM CDT/ tonight. * IMPACTS...Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. Use extra caution.

The City of Michigan City has announced details for the 2026 Spring Clean-Up Program, giving residents several opportunities to dispose of unwanted items, reduce household clutter, and help keep neighborhoods clean. The annual program includes curbside bulky item collection and the Waste Not, Want Not airport drop-off program, designed to make spring cleaning safe, organized, and environmentally responsible. Curbside Spring Clean-Up Collection Residents may place bulky items and furniture at the curb during their scheduled Spring Clean-Up week, based on their normal garbage pickup day. 2026 Spring Clean-Up Schedule Normal Garbage Day Spring Clean-Up Week Monday March 23 – March 28 Tuesday March